Video 10:14
Territory politics in 2009

As the Chief Minister announces yet another Cabinet reshuffle, Stateline speaks with key players and commentators to reflect on a year of high drama in Territory politics.

Transcript

DANIELLE PARRY - Presenter: Today the Chief Minister announced his fourth cabinet reshuffle of the year.

The Opposition says it's more evidence of the instability that's plagued the government since the last election.

Tonight on Stateline we look back on a year of high drama, where the actions of disaffected Labor MLAs brought the government to its knees.

We talk to some of the key players and commentators about the political year that was.

But the now Independent MLA,Alison Anderson,declined our invitation to reflect on what's been a wild ride.

DANIELLE PARRY - Reporter: How would you describe this year in Territory politics?

PETER MURPHY - Commentator & Fmr CLP Advisor: I think it's been the most interesting year we've had since self government which is 31 years ago.

SCOTT STIRLING - Commentator & Communications Consultant: I'd just certainly describe it as an extraordinary set of circumstances, the likes of which we haven't seen in the Territory before.

DARYL MANZIE - Radio Host & Fmr CLP Minister: Well, I'd say it's been a bit of an adventure for all those involved, hasn't it? It's certainly been a bit of a topsy-tervy one but I guess that's politics Territory style.

MARION SCRYMGOUR - Labor Backbencher: Oh, look for me personally it's been a roller-coaster year, it's had many highs but it's had many lows as well.

DANIELLE PARRY: Chief Minister was this your annus horribilis?

PAUL HENDERSON - Chief Minister: Not at all, it was certainly a challenging year, it was certainly an interesting year but when I look at the achievements for the Territory over the past year, they have been significant.

TERRY MILLS - Opposition Leader: It's been a very interesting year. I think I've learnt a lot and I know that the aspirations of Territorians are stronger than ever that they want a good and strong Government.

DANIELLE PARRY: Labor pulled off the slimmest of election wins last year, holding onto government by a single seat. Paul Henderson promised that a vote for him was a vote for certainty and stable government. But within 12 months, his fragile hold on power was all unravelling.

PETER MURPHY - Commentator & Fmr CLP Advisor: They were still cruising in very gently fashion after the near-death experience at the last, early election. And then next thing Marion Scrymgour goes to the media with her objections over the homelands policy. Suddenly there was turmoil at the top.

DANIELLE PARRY: Marion Scrymgour resigned from the ministry in February because of illness and stress. After receiving medical treatment, she returned to work to find her replacement in Indigenous Affairs, Alison Anderson, pushing through the government's Oustations Policy, without the promised consultation.

MARION SCRYMGOUR: I felt quite strong when I came back from dealing with my medical issues that I had, that we had let all these people down, that it was insulting and that we had in effectually lied to people. I felt quite strong about that because I gave that commitment and it was a commitment that was signed off by cabinet which is why I felt so strong about it.

PETER MURPHY: She left the party very publicly, said some very straight talking things about the party, about their cabinet colleagues.

SCOTT STIRLING: Certainly, Marion had some issues with the way she was dealt with after a certain caucus meeting. But I do think that at the end of the day, policy was paramount to her decision to walk away.

PETER MURPHY: The whole hassle started over big money politics and homelands policy. At the end of the day it was who talked to the Northern Territory News and said she that was crying during a cabinet meeting or during a caucus meeting.

DANIELLE PARRY: Marion Scrymgour's decision to sit as an Independent left the government in a precarious position. But a second crisis over Aboriginal policy was already looming and it would bring the government to the brink of collapse. Again Labor's new Indigenous Affairs Minister, Alison Anderson, was at the centre of the storm over the lack on action on SIHIP - the biggest Aboriginal housing program in the nation's history.

PETER MURPHY: She went to a meeting with Jim Davidson, the engineer who gave her the briefing and came back and said that she'd been told that only 30% of the $762 million was going to be spent on houses on the ground. The rest would go to administration.

DANIELLE PARRY: Chief Minister, was Alison Anderson wrong with the figures she was quoting with that 30/70 split of spending on administration?

PAUL HENDERSON: Absolutely wrong, totally wrong. Those administrative costs are 8%, we're trying to get them a bit lower than that but they're 8% and that's been confirmed by both the review, the Council of Territory Cooperation. Alison Anderson got it totally, completely and utterly wrong.

DANIELLE PARRY: But for Alison Anderson the fact that not a single house had been built under such a high profile scheme was emblematic of broader Government mismanagement and spin.

ALISON ANDERSON - Independent MLA, August, ABC Radio: The fat cats there on level 5 that do all the spinning to Territorians, it's just like a big machine with their mouth open, has to be fed and that money has to come from somewhere to feed them.

SCOTT STIRLING: She in this case didn't agree with the direction that the government was taking and so again she walked.

TERRY MILLS: If Alison hadn't done what she had done I think they still would've been cruising along spinning, spinning and producing no result but happily doing so without any scrutiny whatsoever.

DANIELLE PARRY: With Alison Anderson walking away from the Labor Party, Marion Scrymgour decided to come in from the cold, hoping to give the government the numbers it needed to survive.

MARION SCRYMGOUR: I felt very strongly about the criticism that Alison was putting forward that Paul Henderson was a racist and that he hadn't listened I think that, you know Paul Henderson as the Chief Minister has always had my support and that the criticism of him not being inclusive and not wanting to address the Indigenous issues, was a complete fabrication on her part.

DANIELLE PARRY: But even with Marion Scrymgour's support the government was still teetering and the Chief Minister's fate rested in the hands of kingmaker Gerry Wood. It sparked a week on furious negotiations. The Independent member for Nelson had three options - side with Labor and keep it in power, support the CLP and help it form government or force another election.

GERRY WOOD - Independent MLA, August: The deciding factor would be if I go one way or the other, will I actually produce stable government? And that's one of the key things, and so if I went with Labor would that produce stable government, is it a stable government if I went with the CLP, two Independents supporting a party, will that produce stable government?

SCOTT STIRLING: Don't think people at the start of the week would have thought Paul Henderson had any chance, and I think Paul Henderson would probably acknowledge that. On the flip side you had Terry Mills who everybody thought would be able to get a deal through very quickly and form a government of his own. He failed, he failed to understand Gerry's priorities, he failed to be able to put together a deal Gerry would be happy with.

TERRY MILLS: I'm not in the business of cooking up deals just to save my political skin.

DANIELLE PARRY: Well, it's been suggested you stole defeat from the jaws of victory?

TERRY MILLS: Some commentators may say that, but the fact remains that there was the need to follow through a process.

DARYL MANZIE: I think he could've been a little bit more aggressive, I think he should've gone for an election. I think without a doubt if you're in opposition that's what you're aiming for all the time, that's the goal is to win and every opportunity you get to be involved in an election you've got to go for it. At that stage, one seat down and the government under a fair bit of pressure from a whole range of areas, things not working properly, what an opportunity, but that's gone now.

DANIELLE PARRY: The Government survived by agreeing to an unprecedented list of demands from Gerry Wood. The centrepiece is this new 'Council of Territory Cooperation'. It has the power to investigate matters of public interest, and Gerry Wood is its Chairman.

TERRY MILLS: Gerry Wood has crafted some arrangement to throw a lifeline to Paul Henderson. It is right for us to question that.

PAUL HENDERSON: I think it is sour grapes from Terry and at the end of the day Terry made an offer to Gerry, I'm not sure what it was but what we have is a principled agreement with a man of great integrity that's a public agreement.

DANIELLE PARRY: But as the year draws to a close, many pundits are wondering if that deal can last to the next election in 2012 and where it all leaves the key players.

(Question): Well what does the future hold for Alison Anderson now?

SCOTT STIRLING: I think you'd have to say she's a spent force in Territory politics and to be quite honest I wouldn't be surprised to see her walk away from parliament before the next election.

DANIELLE PARRY: Marion Scrymgour, some would say that both you and Alison Anderson had a unique opportunity to fix problems from within government, but that you both chose to walk away?

MARION SCRYMGOUR: Danielle, I recognise you know that I could have done better. I recognise that there are opportunities that have been missed and that is part fo the reason why I've gone back in as part of this team because there are many opportunities for our people and I'm talking about Aboriginal people but the whole of the Territory to be part of a united team to try and get that difference and to get policy for the better.

DANIELLE PARRY: Where does the CLP stand at the end of this year then?

TERRY MILLS: Oh we're strong, a little tired I guess but it's been a, its' like running a marathon. We feel that we have run a long course and we're looking forward to 2010.

DANIELLE PARRY:(Question) How much fight is still left in you?

PAUL HENDERSON: Oh, there's a lot of fight in Paul Henderson and next year, 2010, is going to be another big year in the Territory's history.